ほっと

ほ

っ

と

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

ほっとする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

with relief; relieved

Expresses a feeling of relief after worry or tension. Often used with する to mean 'feel relieved' or 'be relieved'.

Describes a deep, audible sigh, often of relief or exhaustion. Used adverbially with verbs like ため息をつく.

〈事こと〉にほっとするto feel relieved about something
試し験けんに合ごう格かくしたと聞きいてほっとした。
I felt relieved when I heard I had passed the exam.
ほっとため息いきをつくto let out a deep sigh of relief
仕し事ごとが終おわってほっとため息いきをついた。
After finishing the work, I let out a deep sigh of relief.
ほっと胸むねをなでおろすto breathe a sigh of relief (lit. stroke one's chest in relief)
無ぶ事じに着ついたと分わかり、ほっと胸むねをなでおろした。
Learning that they had arrived safely, I breathed a sigh of relief.

安あん心しんN4sense 1
ほっと describes the sudden physical/emotional release of tension in a moment, while 安心 refers to a more general, lasting sense of peace of mind.
肩かたの荷にが下おりるN1
肩の荷が下りる specifically describes relief from finishing or shedding a responsibility, while ほっとする is a more general expression of relief or reassurance about anything.

息いきが詰つまるN1
息が詰まる describes feeling suffocated or tense, while ほっとする describes the relief of finally being able to breathe easy again.

はっと
ほっと and はっと sound and look almost identical, but ほっと expresses relief while はっと expresses sudden surprise or realization.
ホットN1
ほっと is a hiragana word meaning relief or a sigh of relief, unrelated in meaning to the katakana loanword ホット for hot.

Onomatopoeic word mimicking the sound of a sigh of relief. The exact origin is uncertain.